Mud - The After Bath

	by Rita (mommacita1@juno.com)

	This is dedicated to those naughty girls who've been throwing mud at each
	other on these two lists, all over whether SB was dead or alive (do you
	know for sure now?) and whether I should finish My Master's Son (which I
	did) or continue (on a completely different list) with Come In, a beastly
	tail.

	Now, Jenlmr, before you start stamping your feet, Come In part 3 has been
	written an beta'd, but due to the beta-ing it needs a bit more work.  I
	hope to get to it by the end of the week, maybe even tomorrow.

	Now, a Mom Becky's request, and with Betty's encouragement, a sequel to
	Mud that takes a serious, maybe even dangerous turn.

	WARNING: Spanking that gets out of hand, references to child and sexual
	abuse.

	Mud - The After Bath

	Dedicated to Jenlmr - a belated birthday and get well story and an
	apology for writing My Master's Son part 4 instead of Come In part 3.
	(Whew! How's that for a dedication?)

	Thanks to Betty for ... umm ... encouraging me in developing the plot
	(such as it is).  Hi Betty <waving>!

	When we left our muddy heroes, Apollo was applying corporal punishment to
	Starbuck's bare bottom for the muddy mess he had made in the BOQ,
	Apollo's quarters, and every place he, Betty, or Boxey had been
	in-between..

	And now on to the conclusion of our story...

	***

	At first it was fun.  Starbuck was relaxed and aroused and the slap of
	the belt was stimulating.  But Apollo wasn't playing and he didn't stop
	when Starbuck's backside was red and hot.  Squirming didn't seem to get
	his attention either.  "'Pol?" Starbuck called over his shoulder.
	"You're hurting me."

	"Shut up, you promiscuous whore!" Apollo snarled, snapping the belt
	against Starbuck's buttocks even harder.  "You like to show yourself off?
	I'll give you something to show off!"

	The hot skin became raised welts.  "Pol, stop!" Starbuck begged.,  "This
	isn't funny, I won't be able to sit!" He started to turn around but a
	stinging lash to his shoulder warned him against it.  "Apollo!" he
	gasped.

	"I. Said. Shut. Up!" Apollo grated out, punctuating each word with a lash
	high on Starbuck's unprotected back to keep him from turning around.
	When Starbuck was cowering against the bunk frame, Apollo stopped long
	enough to grab up someone's dirty socks and make a gag out of them.  As
	he tied it around Starbuck's head, he said, "Now you'll keep quiet! And
	don't try to move away or I'll tie you to the top of the frame."

	Starbuck looked at him wide-eyed with terror.  He was holding onto the
	bunk frame for support and had no strength to fight Apollo off.  When
	Apollo ordered him not to move, he nodded his agreement.

	Apollo returned to his position behind Starbuck and resumed his whipping,
	not stopping until he felt a drop of wetness on his cheek and, wiping it,
	discovered it was blood, sprayed from the belt. He dropped the belt as
	though it was a poisonous Serpens.  He stared at the slumped figure in
	front of him, back and buttocks striped with welts oozing blood.
	Although none of the wounds was serious, together they formed a painful
	mass covering Starbuck from shoulders to thighs.  Apollo rushed forward
	and untied the gag covering Starbuck's mouth, but didn't know where to
	touch the injured man.  "Starbuck!  I don't know what came over me!  Are
	you all right?"

	Starbuck lifted his head slowly.  Only then did he become aware that the
	whipping had stopped and it was safe to come out of the place in his mind
	he went to when he was being punished.  "Yes, Sir," he whispered.  "I'm
	fine, Sir.  May I move now, please?"

	"Yes.  Yes, of course.  Do you need help?"

	Starbuck started to shake his head, then discovered he couldn't force his
	fingers to unbend from where they were holding onto the bunk frame.
	"Could you, could you get my fingers loose, please?  I'll be all right
	then," he asked meekly.

	Apollo gently pried Starbuck's fingers free.  Starbuck's palms were
	bloody where the metal edge of the frame had bitten into them as he
	squeezed it.  "You can't take care of this yourself - or your back.  I
	should, I should get you to Life Center. And then I've got to turn myself
	in."

	Starbuck pulled himself back to the present with an effort.  This wasn't
	the orphanage director or his foster-father.  This was Apollo.  "You
	can't do that," he said simply.  "You were angry and you got carried
	away, but it'll be all right.  You didn't do any real damage."  He raised
	his hand to touch Apollo's cheek with his fingertips, wincing as the
	simple motion pulled at the cuts over his shoulder blade.

	Apollo shook his head.  "How could I do this?" he asked in horror.

	"You were angry to start, and then I was parading about naked and aroused
	and it really made you jealous," Starbuck explained.  "It's okay."  He
	smiled. "Actually, it's kind of nice that you were jealous.  But next
	time, just yell at me, okay?"

	"Gods!  How can you joke about this?  You're standing there bleeding and
	I did it to you."

	"I can joke because ..." Starbuck shrugged then winced again.  "Well,
	because I've been beaten before and because you did it because you love
	me.  You've never hurt me before and I'd guess you don't intend to make a
	habit of it.  Besides, I don't intend to enrage you like that ever again.
	Nobody will get to see me naked without your permission, I promise." He
	paused until Apollo looked at him.  "Okay then," Starbuck said and then
	kissed him lightly on the lips then straightened up with a whimper.  "Now
	I'm going to take a hot turbo wash to clean out the cuts and a cold one
	to stop the bleeding and numb the pain.  Then I'll be fine.  We won't be
	doing anything physical for a couple of sectons though - so if you feel
	the need for punishment, there it is."

	"That's not enough."

	"What?  Oh, well, if you're worried about infection, you could put some
	antibiotic cream on me after I've washed."

	"No, that wasn't what I meant," Apollo said, then hurriedly qualified his
	statement.  "I mean, of course, I'll put antibiotic cream on you. But
	that isn't what's not enough.  I've got to ... be punished."

	"You don't know what you're talking about!" Starbuck snapped.  "I will
	not punish you.  No. Never.  You had loving parents.  If you were spanked
	a) you deserved it and b) they didn't get a charge out of hurting you and
	listening to you beg for mercy.  You just plain don't understand."

	"Okay, okay," Apollo said placating.  'This explains a lot.  No wonder he
	gets between me and Boxey whenever I threaten to spank the boy.  Not that
	he doesn't believe in punishing him, but always in some other way, never
	physically.  Now I understand.'  "Then how could you let me ..." he
	trailed off, reddening with shame.

	"I thought it was going to be a joke, a sex spanking." Starbuck shook his
	head.  "Apollo, I keep those memories locked away, so it didn't even
	occur to me you would ... you could..."

	"So give me a different punishment, but you have to do something to me!"
	Apollo blurted out.

	"First I'm going to wash off before I'm so stiff I can't move," Starbuck
	said, calming himself with an effort and moving slowly towards the
	turbowash.  "I'll think about it while I'm in there." He stopped.  "Wait,
	I've got an idea - but only if you want to."

	"Anything," Apollo insisted.

	"You clean the BOQ up," Starbuck said.  "I didn't deserve to have to do
	it in the first place, but that wasn't what you were punishing me for
	anyway, and we both knew it.  Now, frankly, I'm not going to be able to
	bend down and scrub the mud off everything."

	"What do you mean you didn't deserve it?"

	"You didn't wait to find out what actually happened, did you?" Starbuck
	said quietly.  "You just assumed I messed up again.  I kind of feel like
	Boxey did - that if Betty got to tell the story without him, he'd get all
	the blame.  You took a look at the kids and your quarters and then the
	mess in here, and blamed me."  He started to shrug and caught himself.
	"It would have been okay and I would've got some of the guys to help me
	clean the place up and when you calmed down I would have explained.  But,
	since you feel the need to be punished - you clean up.  And while you're
	doing it, I'll tell you how the whole thing started."  He started towards
	the turbo wash again then stopped.  "Apollo?" he said in a strained
	voice.

	"What is it, Starbuck?"  Apollo was at his side in an instant.

	"I think maybe I will need your help in the turbowash after all.  The
	shock's wearing off and," he stifled a sob, "I'm really in pain now."  He
	grabbed Apollo's shoulder for support and started to shake.  "Don't ever
	do this again.  Please," he whispered.

	Apollo nodded numbly.

	"'Kay.  Now, please, help me into the turbo wash.  I'll lean against the
	wall so you can spray my back.  First hot then cold."

	When the cuts had stopped oozing, Apollo helped Starbuck to a bottom bunk
	and patted him dry, then applied the antibiotic cream.  "Better?" he
	asked.

	"Much.  Long as I don't move." Starbuck sighed.  "I've got some
	painkillers squirreled away that'll get me through duty shifts until my
	back heals."  He smiled at Apollo's sorrowful expression.  "It's okay, or
	it will be in a couple of sectons.  Trust me, I've been here before."

	"You forgive me?  Just like that?"

	"I love you, Apollo," Starbuck said simply.  "Yes, I forgive you - just
	like that."  He paused and looked into the tear-filled green eyes with
	serious blue ones.  "This time.  Only this time.  You can't ever let this
	happen again.  I'll do my part, I won't goad you; but you have to do
	yours, too."

	Apollo nodded.

	"Good," Starbuck said brusquely, not wanting to dwell on what might
	happen if Apollo couldn't keep his word. 'It won't happen, Bucko,' he
	told himself.  'He loves you and he doesn't like violence.  He never
	raised a hand to you before; he never will again.' He only wished he
	could convince himself completely.  But he couldn't let himself stop
	trusting Apollo either; that would destroy both of them. In time he would
	trust again; for now, he'd have to fake it.  "Now, let's see you get to
	work with that scrub brush and bucket, Captain. And I'll tell you what
	happens when an instructor forgets to tell the Agro Ship what sectors
	she's taking her class into so they can make sure the sprinkler system
	doesn't turn on."